Monthly archive

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has vowed to fight to the “last man and last woman” to defend his country. He has also warned of “large-scale destruction” if he was forced to quit, according to television reports.

President Mohamed Nasheed will address the customary opening of Parliament for 2011 today while the opposition People’s Alliance is set to boycott the session citing the last year address where he “threatened political opponents.”

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Wednesday said India was making the best efforts to secure the safe release of its sailors held hostage by Somali pirates as only a week remains for expiry of the deadline set by the sea brigands to meet their demands.

The emissary of the Congress Party President and UPA chairperson Ms Sonia Gandhi, Gulam Nabi Asad met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK party leader M Karunanidhi on Wednesday night at the party headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai and discussed about the seat sharing in forthcoming assembly polls for Tamil Nadu and conveyed the reservations of Ms Gandhi.

Countries of the Middle East have taken center stage. Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen, Morooco, Bahrain, Syria & Libya are said to be facing uprising and we are suddenly told that people of these countries are demanding “democratization” of their country and the ouster of their “despotic” leaders.

The application by the former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka for special leave to appeal, challenging the order of the Court of Appeal that dismissed his Writ petition is to be taken on July 11 by the Supreme Court.

Eventhough there is a deadlock in the seat sharing talks between ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) and Congress, the Dravidian Patriarch and state chief minister M Karunanidhi has convened his party high-level Action Plan Committee meeting on March 5 to discuss the April 13 Assembly Elections and prepare party's Election Manifesto which stole the limelight in the last election.

Faced with the DMK chief M.Karunanidhi’s adamant attitude of “take it or leave it” on the issue of number of seats that can be allotted to the party, the Congress leadership in New Delhi seems to have decided to climb down on its demands for nearly 80 seats and an assurance on power-sharing.

Last Sunday I saw a significantly small article written at one of the leading Sunday national news paper in English, on the annual battle between Ananda and Nalanda. This is very common in last decades. But again we can observe more articles (especially in English) which went for pages written on other big matches played in Sri Lanka.

Former Telecom Minister A.Raja, prime accused in the 2G case, was on Wednesday pulled up by the Supreme Court for using “intemperate” and “objectionable” language in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue of spectrum allocation policy.

Attorney General today (3) gave undertaking in the Supreme Court to stop forthwith the forced registration of residents of Jaffna and Kilinochchi districts in the Northern Provence which is a predominant Tamil region.

Seylan Bank PLC which underwent a successful restructuring during the last two years had decided to reduce 250 employees from its cadre under uniform Voluntary Retirement Scheme for all employment categories.

Although the US has carried out two troop surges and has increased its force level to over 100,000 and total ISAF strength to 152,000, initiative is still in the hands of Taliban. Possibility of regaining initiative by US military through Kandahar operation has become remote.

Douglas Devananda, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development, participating as the Chief Guest to reopen a renovated Public Library at Kopay, on last 18th, said that it would be wise to select the candidates fielded by the government in order to take forward the development activities in the peninsula; and in the event the power being transferred to the members of the opposition parties, there could be a reversal in the development activities that are in progress today.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist(CPI(M) and Bharathiya Janata Party(BJP) has urged the Election Commission to change poll date in Tamil Nadu sheduled for April 13, citing +2 exams and Tamil New Years day.